Driver for wing-head fasteners



Oct. 6, 1964 w. CHARCZENKO 3,151,512

DRIVER FOR WING-HEAD FASTENERS Filed Oct. 21. 1960 FIG. 1.

INV EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,151,512 DRIVER FOR WING-HEAD FASTENERS Walter Charczenko, Gardiner, Maine (RFD. 2, Augusta, Maine) Filed Oct. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 64,007 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-90) This invention relates to a hand tool, and in particular to a socket wrench for wing-head type fasteners, such as screws and nuts. In certain special circumstances wood screws with wing-type heads are preferable to the slotted type but may be difiicult of application in the case of wood or other material possessing hardness or toughness in high degree.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a torque-applying tool having particular adaptation to a wing-head fastener. Another object is to accomplish the foregoing while providing for increased torque. A still further object is to combine a holding means for the fastener for operation in regions which are difiicult of access.

Briefly, these objects are accomplished by a tool having a lower, bell-shaped extremity with a cavity formed in complementar or mating relationship to a wing-head and including a magnetic insert, and which may also carry a laterally extending, auxiliary arm to increase leverage in the application of torque to the wing head.

For a more detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the following specification, as illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the tool, in upright position;

FIGURE 2 is a bracketed fragmentary view of the bottom portion of the tool of FIGURE 1, enlarged, in partial, axial section on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, and in relation to a wing-head screw just prior to engagement;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the tool shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, fragmented, showing a removable, dual-purpose working head, and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown, in FIGURE 1, a tool, which may be turned, molded, die cast or forged as a single material, such as metal or tough plastic. The tool comprises a handle portion 10 for manual application of torque in ordinary use, but which, conveniently, may have a laterally extending, auxiliary lever 12. Forwardly of the handle 10 is a frusto-conical area 14, followed by a further frustoconical area 16 of lesser angle to the vertical and having a terminal annular bead 18. If a wooden handle were employed, parts 16, 18 would constitute the ferrule. Below head 18 is a comparatively narrow, cylindrical shank 20, leading to a bell-shaped working head 22 having a diverging frusto-conical top 24, merging with shank 20, and a cylindrical skirt 26 forming its lower extremity.

A typical wing-head screw is shown in the lower half of FIGURE 2, with a tapered, threaded portion 28, a shank 30, and a head comprising a central, semi-spherical dome 32 and a pair of fiat tabs 34, 36 adapted for engagement by the thumb and fingers in ordinary usage. For engagement of the screw head the working head of the tool, at skirt portion 26 has complementary recesses comprising a central, semi-spherical cavity 38 to accommodate the domed head 32 of the screw, and a pair of semi-circular channel recesses 48, 42 located on a diameter of the skirt portion 26 and adapted to receive the flat tabs 34, 36 of the screw head. In order to minimize Patented Oct. 6, 1964 hunting in applying the tool, the slots 40, 42 are preferably flared as at 44, 46 to provide a ready guide in engaging tabs 34, 36.

The tool thus far described is capable of performing the intended function of engaging a wing head in keyed relation and imparting thereto a torque in excess of that possible by purely manual means. It will be understood that in essence the basic configuration of a complementary female tool head is what is generally contemplated, and that within this concept the tool may be constructed of optimum dimensions which will accommodate a reasonable range of sizes of wing heads.

In order to provide for working in areas which are difiicult of access, and particularly to avoid the necessity of repeated fitting of the tool to the wing head, there is provided a keeper in the form of an insert 48 of magnetic material. For most efiicient performance this insert will be located at the center of semi-spherical cavity 38, and this arrangement may be achieved in a variety of schemes of mounting the insert. In the embodiment shown, the permanent magnet is inserted in the form of a slab after which the machining of the cavities is effected. As seen in FIGURES 2 to 4, this results in a magnetic region which includes a polar zone in cavity 38 terminating in the circle 50 and which extends half way across the slots 40, 42, terminating at the lines 52, 54.

For alternative use as a hand tool or a powered tool the device may be constructed in two parts, as shown in FIGURE 5. Herein, the shank 20 of the driver head has a reduced extension 56 of hexagonal cross-section snugly received in a recess 58 in the lower end of the separate handle 60. A ball 62 movable in a lateral bore 64 in the recess 58 is urged by a spring 66 into engagement with an annular channel 68 near the upper end of extension 56 and serves to retain the head connected to the handle in a slip connection. The ball and spring are preferably mounted from outside the handle and sealed in as by a plug 70, and the inner end of the lateral bore 64 is sized to retain the ball in the bore in the absence of the tool head extension. In the alternative use of the tool head the hexagonal extension may be inserted in a power tool, such as a compressed air motor. Obviously the head may also be mounted in an electric drill. While the extension 56 is preferably polygonal in section it may also be round, but in that case if use with a handle such as 60 is desired, separate keying means will be required to transmit torque.

A further feature shown in FIGURE 5, and which may be equally Well employed in the modification of FIG- URES 1 to 4, is a central bore 72 in extension of the cavities in the bell head which serves to accommodate the ends of bolts when the tool is used to mount wing nuts. As also shown in FIGURE 5, the magnetic insert may be replaced by a pair of leaf spring keepers 74, 76 located at the ends of the recesses which accommodate the wings of the screw or nut.

While a certain preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in the light of this disclosure, and the invention should not, therefore, be deemed as limited except as shall appear from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A tool for wing-head fasteners comprising a handle portion, and a working head with a transverse outer face having multiple cavities with outer openings confined within the area of said face comprising a central semispherical recess and a pair of aligned channels of generally semi-circular, longitudinal profile located along a diametral plane of said recess, and extending to a greater depth in said head than said recess, said channels having flared openings at the outer face of said head.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS Merrill Nov. 26, 1929 Schebeko Apr. 2, 1932 Cawood Feb. 11, 1941 Reardon Oct. 21, 1941 Ojalvo Oct. 27, 1942 Wentling Mar. 22, 1949 Fischer et a1. Jan. 26, 1954 Apicelli Mar. 29, 1960 Lavietes June 27, 1961 

